1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of detecting engagement and disengagement characteristics of a so-called less-force required type mating connector requiring less force in engaging connector members with each other and an apparatus therefor. The less-force required type mating connector is comprised of a first connector having a lever pivotaly held at a specified position and a second connector attachable or detachable to or from the first connector. When the lever pivots relative to the first connector toward a specified engaging direction with the first and second connectors being temporarily engaged with each other, the lever pushes the second connector toward the first connector. Otherwise when the lever pivots in a specified disengaging direction, force is applied to the second connector in a direction for disengagement from the first connector. Thus, it is called as "less-force required type mating connector" in which the second connector can be engaged and/or disengaged to and/or from the first connector by pivoting the lever relative to a first connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A less-force required type mating connector is comprised of a male connector and a female connector. The male connector and the female connector are attachable or detachable to or from each other. For example, the male connector has a plate-shaped lever which is pivotaly attached about a rotary axis provided in a specified position. The lever has a slit related in a specified position to the rotary axis. When the lever is in its initial position, an opening of the slit is opened to the direction where the female connector is to be attached. A distance between each point of the slit and the rotary axis of the lever is gradually decreased as it lies farther from the opening of the slit toward an inner part thereof. The female connector has a pin fixed in a specified position so that it can fit in the slit formed in the lever.
When the male connector and the female connector is temporarily attached to each other with the lever of the male connector being in its initial position, the pin of the female connector goes into the opening. When the lever is pivoted in a specified engaging direction in this sate, the pin is guided in the slit farther from the opening toward the inner part thereof. This causes a distance between the pin and the rotary axis of the lever to gradually decrease, and eventually, the female connector is engaged with the male connector.
When the lever is pivoted in a direction reverse to the engaging direction, the pin is guided from the inner position of the slit toward its opening. As a result, the distance between the rotary axis of the lever and the pin is gradually increased. This enables the female connector to be disengaged from the male connector.
Thus, a pair of connectors can be engaged/disengaged to or from each other with a small force by pivoting the lever relative to the male connector applying the principle of the lever.
Characteristics of a mating connector are conventionally detected for the purpose of evaluating the characteristics of the mating connector. The characteristics to be detected include characteristics of engagement and disengagement of connector members. When the engagement characteristic is to be detected, a load required in engaging one of the connector members with the other connector members is sequentially detected from a state of temporal attachment of one member to the other till an end of the engagement of them. When the disengagement characteristic is to be detected, the connector members engaged with each other are disengaged from each other while a load required for the disengagement is being sequentially detected.
An ordinary mating connector of which engagement or disengagement is performed by applying a load along an axial direction conventionally has its characteristics detected by using a compression/tensile tester. In detecting an engagement characteristic, a male connector and a female connector are fixed to a pair of chucks of the tester. While the chucks are being put closer to each other, compressive force required is detected to detect the engagement characteristic. In detecting a disengagement characteristic, the male and female connectors which are already engaged with each other are fixed to the pair of chucks of the tester. While the chucks are being set apart from each other, tensile force required is detected to detect the disengagement characteristic.
However, the above-mentioned technology employing the compression/tensile tester cannot be used in detecting characteristics of the less-force required type mating connector. This is because, in the less-force required type mating connector, force applied to the lever in engagement/disengagement of the male and female connectors is not along a direction of displacement of each connector but is changed along an outer periphery about the center of a rotary axis of the lever. Nevertheless, all that the compression/tensile tester can do is causing compressive force and tensile force in an axial direction and therefore is detecting a load in that direction. Thus, the compression/tensile tester cannot be used for detecting the characteristics of the less-force required type mating connector.